On May 31, 1998, a severe thunderstorm swept through Sauk County in southwest Wisconsin, causing widespread damage. In Meyer Grove in the Village of Sauk City, fifteen 150-year-old oak trees were blown down. The Grove was donated by Rheinhold and Hilda Meyer for the enjoyment of all and contains an outstanding selection of mature Burr Oaks. The downed trees, logs 6 to 16 feet long and up to 3 feet in diameter, were cleared and stored on Village property as theyawaited the next step in the carbon cycle.

The Village of Sauk City solicited proposals from artists, artisans, architects, designers and others for the creative re-use and transformation of these huge oak logs and branches. The purpose of this Project was to commemorate the original gift, acknowledge the loss, and work to restore and renew the Grove. The first part of a long-term effort to restore a portion of the Grove involved planting oak savanna, a disappearing native ecosystem.

Groups or individuals whose proposals were selected had one or more of the fifteen logs delivered to them to use as the basis of a project that was to becompleted by August of 1999. The Village of Sauk City collected the completed works before the end of that month and temporarily installed them in the Grove for a community celebration on Labor Day weekend, Sept 4-6, 1999. Working from a budget of $20,000, the Village of Sauk City underwrote the cost of realizing 6 to 10 proposals. The completed work became the property of the Village and was permanently installed in both interior and exterior locations throughout the community.

sculpture by Harry Whitehorse

Bench by Steven Spiro

 

Learn more about Meyer Oak Grove Park in Sauk City .